Ornamental narrow fabric



July 28, 1936. J. w. STARK 2,049,023;

ORNAMENTAL NARROW FABRIC Filed Jan. 24, 1936 INVENTOR desL-PH w.57'FIRK.

ATTORNEY Patented July 28, 1936 I UNETED STATES PATENT 2,049,028QRNAMENTAL NARROW FABRIC Joseph W. Stark, New York, N. Y., assignor to IGeneral Ribbon Mills, linc., Catasauqua, Pa.

Application January 24, 1936, Serial No. 60,595

16 Claims.

The present invention relates to ribbons and more particularly toornamental ribbons and similar narrow fabrics. The ribbons embodying thepresent invention may be used generally for any well known purpose, butare intended more especially for use in tying packages, for ornamentingwrapped and unwrapped articles, and for forming ornamental bows,rosettes, etc.

It has been proposed heretofore to utilize ribbons of unwoven sheetmaterial, especially Cellophane or other regenerated cellulosicmaterials, in order to obtain certain ornamental effects, particularlywhen the ribbon material is transparent. Such ribbons, however, arelacking in sufficient strength and for this reason, among others, theuse of such ribbons, while relatively wide-spread, is not as extensiveas it would otherwise be if free from the objection referred to. Oneofthe objects of the present invention therefore is to provide a ribbonwhich is of proper strength and yet comprises a strip of unwoven sheetmaterial such as Cellophane, paper, or one of the many non-fibrouscellulosic materials derived from cellulose esters and cellulose ethers.

Ribbons woven of textile material, while relatively expensive,especially for such uses as tying packages, possess desirable features,including the quality of proper strength for tying purposes, but theornamentation of woven textile materials involves, in addition to therelatively high costs, other serious difiiculties. Ornamented wovenribbons have been produced by forming the ornamental design during theweaving of the ribbon, usually by dobby or jacquard devices, or byprinting a suitable design upon one or both faces of the ribbon. Theornamentation of the woven ribbon in accordance with the jacquard methodis relatively complicated, time consuming, and expensive, while on theother hand, the printing of the design on the ribbon is not entirelysatisfactory because it is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain asharply defined design on the woven ribbon surface. Another object ofthe invention, therefore, is to eliminate the disadvantages of the woventextile ribbons without substantially eliminating the advantagesthereof, and at the same time obtaining the ornamental advantages ofunwoven sheet material such as Cellophane.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ornamental ribbonwhich is strong, durable, and which has'a distinctive novel appearance,and moreover, to provide such ribbon at low cost.

A further object of the invention is to facilitate ;he ornamentation ofloosely woven or open-mesh zextile ribbons.

A yet further object of the invention is genrally to provide a combinedwovenand. unwoven ribbon which can be readily formed into bows and otherornaments of pleasing appearance.

objects which might hereinafter appear will best be understood from thefollowing description considered with reference to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of the present specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a face view of a, piece of ribbon embodying one form of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on the line 22 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a face view of a piece of ribbon illustrating another form ofthe invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a face view of a piece of ribbon constituting yet another formof the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail and first to Figs. 1 and 2 whichillustrate one form of the invention, there is shown a ribbon in whichcomprises a strip I! of unwoven thin sheet material extendinglongitudinally of the ribbon and disposed between the side edgesthereof. Said strip I2 is preferably made of Cellophane or othernon-fibrous oellulosic material such as paper or the non-fibrouscellulosic sheet materials derived from cellulose esters and celluloseethers. Preferably, the strip i 2 is lustrous and also transparent,although it. may be translucent or even opaque. The ribbon l0 alsocomprises woven sections it disposed at opposite side edges of saidstrip. Said woven portions comprise a plurality of warp threadsextending longitudinally of the ribbon and a fine weft thread woven withsaid Warp threads and floated over both faces of the strip i2 in suchmanner that the floated-over portions of said weft thread are widelyspaced whereby substantially the entire surface of at least one of saidstrip faces is visible and has substantially the same appearance as ifthe weft thread were not present, or in other words, said strip hassubstantially the same appearance as it had prior to its assembly withthe warp and weft threads in forming the ribbon.

As here shown, the warp threads include groups of fine textile threadsl6 disposed in close sideby-side relation with respect to each other andalso with respect to the side edges of the strip l2; groups l8 of finetextile threads spaced from each other and from the threads I6; groupsof fine textile threads 20 disposed in close side-by-side warp and .weftthreads may consist of any suitable material such as cotton, naturalsilk, or artificial silk.

The strip I2 is of substantial width and constitutes, in itself, themain ornamental element of the ribbon. More specifically, said ribbon iswide enough to carry a suitable design indicated generally by thereference character 28 and printed or otherwise formed thereon prior tothe introduction of said strip into the ribbon. Instead of printing adesign on said strip or in addition to the design printed thereon, saidstrip may be of one or more colors which contrast with the color ofparts of the woven sections of the ribbon. Likewise, the tinsel threadsmay vary in color with respect to each other and with respect to therest of the ribbon or portions thereof. It-

will be understood also that the strip l2 may be transparent,translucent, or opaque, and that both faces of the ribbon have the sameappearance, although, especially when the strip i2 is opaque andprovided with different surface designs on opposite faces thereof, theopposite faces of the ribbon may be different in appearance. The warpthreads constitute minor ornamental elements of the ribbon. The weftthread is preferably of the same color as the strip l2 so as to beimperceptible except upon very close inspection of the ribbon.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the ribbon $0is in general similar to the ribbon l0. More particularly, said ribboncomprises a central strip 32, which may be the same as or similar to thestrip l2 of the ribbon i0, and woven sections 34 disposed at oppositeside edges of said strip and including a weft thread 36 similar to theweft thread 26 of the ribbon l0 and loosely woven with the warp threadsof said woven sections 34 and floated over the strip 32 in such widelyspaced relation as not to perceptibly aflect the appearance of saidstrip except upon very close inspection of the ribbon. To further renderthe weft thread 36 invisible, especially in the portion of the ribbonconstituted by the inspection, said weft thread 36, like the weft thread26, is preferably of the same ground color as the strip 32. Thewarp-threads in the woven sections 34 are constituted by fiat threads 38of tinsel or other lustrous material and edge warp threads 35 of textilematerial. It will be understood that various color combinations may beobtained in the ribbon 30 in any of the ways enumerated above in thedescription of the ribbon illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the invention is emfiodied ina ribbon 40 ofthe loosely woven or open-mesh type, said ribbon, as here shown, be ingsubstantially wider than the ribbons ill and 30. The ribbon 40 comprisestwo strips 42 of unwoven sheet material such as that used for the strips12 and 32 in ribbons l0 and 30, and in this respect, as well as in allother respects, may be the same as said strips l2 and 32. The centralsection 44 of the ribbon is constituted by fine texstrip 32, except uponclose.

tile warp threads 48 and textile weft threads 48, forming an open-meshfabric in said central section. The edge portions of the ribbon are eachconstituted by one of said strips 42 and woven sections including groupsof textile warp threads 50 disposed in close side-by-side relation atopposite side edges of the strip 42; one or more textile warp threads 52spaced from said threads 50; groups of textile warp threads 54 disposedin close side-by-side relation and spaced from the warp threads 52; fiatwarp threads 56 of tinsel or other suitable lustrous material; andgroups of textile warp threads 58 disposed in close sideby-side relationadjacent the edges of the tinsel threads 56. The weft threads 48 in theinter- 44 are parts of a single weft thread loosely woven with the warpthreads and extending from one edge of the ribbon to the other acrossthe marginal edge portions thereof, floating over the strips 42 inrelatively widely spaced relation whereby not to perceptibly affect theappearance of said strips except upon very close inspection of 'theribbon. The color of the unwoven, strips 42 as well as the color of themediate section warp and weft threads may vary in the man- 25 nerindicated previously in connection with the description of the otherforms of the invention, whereby to obtain a variety of ornamentaleffects.

Thus it is seen that each of the embodiments herein shown and describedis well adapted to accomplish the several objects of the presentinvention. It will be understood, however, that the invention issusceptible of many other embodiments and that certain changes,omissions, and additions may be made in the construction and.arrangement of elements of the several ribbons without departing fromthe substance of the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limitedto the precise forms of the invention herein shown and described or toany one of them except as may be required by the appended claims 7 Atending longitudinally of the ribbon, said strip carrying a surfacedesign and constituting in itself the major ornamental element of theribbon, and woven thread sections comprising thin warp threads andwidely spaced weft thread portions, said weft thread portions floatedover said strip on both faces thereof for securing the latter inposition in the ribbon without altering the appearance of said stripexcept upon close inspection thereof.

2. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of regenerated celluloseextending longitudinally of the ribbon, said strip carrying a surfacedesign and constituting in itself the major ornamental element of theribbon, and woven thread sections comprising thin warp threads andwidely spaced weft thread portions, said weft thread portions floatedover said strip on both faces thereof for securing the latter inposition in the ribbon without altering the appearance of said stripexcept upon close inspection thereof.

3. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of transparentnon-fibrous cellulosic sheet material extending longitudinally of theribbon said strip carrying a surface design and constituting in itselfthe major ornamental element of tilt ribbon, andwoven thread sectionscomprising thir warp threads and widely spaced weft thread portions,said weft thread portions floated over said strip on both faces thereoffor securing the latter in position in the ribbon without altering theappearance of said strip except upon close inspection thereof.

4. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of non-fibrouscellulosic sheet material extending longitudinally of the ribbon, saidstrip carrying a surface design and constituting in itself the majorornamental element of the ribbon, and woven thread sections comprisingwidely spaced weft thread portions, said weft thread portions floatedover said strip on both faces thereof for securing the latter inposition in the ribbon without altering the appearance of said stripexcept upon close inspection thereof, said woven thread sectionsincluding warp threads extending longitudinally of the ribbon andconstituting minor ornamental elements thereof.

5. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of regenerated celluloseextending longitudinally of the ribbon, said strip carrying a surfacedesign and constituting in itself the major ornamental element of theribbon, and woven thread sections comprising widely spaced weft threadportions, said weftthread portions floated over said strip on both facesthereof for securing the latter in position in the ribbon withoutaltering the appearance of said strip except upon close inspectionthereof, said woven thread sections including warp threads extendinglongitudinally of the ribbon and constituting minor ornamental elementsthereof.

6. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of non-fibrouscellulosic sheet material extending longitudinally of the ribbon andconstituting in itself the major ornamental element of the ribbon, andwoven thread sections comprising thin warp threads and widely spacedweft thread portions, said weft thread portions floated over said stripon both faces thereof for securing the latter in position in the ribbonwithout altering the appearance of said strip except upon closeinspection thereof, said strip having a surface design printed thereon.

7. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of regenerated celluloseextending longitudinally of the ribbon and constituting in itself themajor ornamental element of the ribbon, and woven thread sectionscomprising thin warp threads and widely spaced weft thread portions,said weft thread portions floated over said strip on both faces thereoffor securing the latter in posi tion in the ribbon without altering theappearance of said strip except upon close inspection thereof, saidstrip having a surface design printed thereon.

8. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of transparentnon-fibrous cellulosic sheet material extending longitudinally of theribbon and constituting in itself the major ornamental element of theribbon, and woven thread sections comprising thin warp threads andwidely spaced weft thread portions, said weft thread portions floatedover said strip on both faces thereof for securing the latter inposition in the ribbon without altering the appearance of said stripexcept upon close inspection thereof, said strip having a surface designprinted thereon.

9. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip. of non-fibrouscellulosic sheet material extending longitudinally of the ribbon andconstituting in itself the'major ornamental element of the ribbon, andwoven thread sections comprising widely spaced weft thread portions,said weft thread portions floated over said strip on both faces thereoffor securing the latter in position in the ribbon without altering theappearance of said strip except upon close inspection thereof, saidwoven thread sections including warp threads extending longitudinally ofthe ribbon and constituting minor ornamental elements thereof, saidstrip having a surface design printed thereon.

10. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of regeneratedcellulose extending longitudinally of the ribbon and constituting initself the major ornamental element of the ribbon, and woven threadsections comprising widely spaced weft thread portions, said weft threadportions floated over said strip on both faces thereof for securing thelatter in position in the ribbon without altering the appearance of saidstrip except upon close inspection thereof, said woven thread sectionsincluding warp threads extending longitudinally of the ribbon andconstituting minor ornamental elements thereof, said strip having asurface design printed thereon.

11. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of non-fibrouscellulosic sheet material extending longitudinally of the ribbon, saidstrip carrying a surface design and constituting in itself the majorornamental element of the ribbon, and woven thread sections comprisingwidely spaced weft thread portions, said weft thread portions floatedover said strip on both faces thereof for securing the latter inposition in the ribbon without altering the appearance of said stripexcept upon close inspection thereof, said woven thread sectionsincluding warp threads extending longitudinally of the ribbon andconstituting minor ornamental elements thereof, said warp threadscontrasting in color with said strip.

12. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of regeneratedcellulose extending longitudinally of the ribbon, said strip carrying asurface design and constituting in itself the major ornamental elementof the ribbon, and woven thread sections comprising widely spaced weftthread portions, said weft thread portions floated over said strip onboth faces thereof for securing the latter in position in the ribbonwithout altering the appearance of said strip except upon closeinspection thereof, said woven thread sections including warp threadsextending longitudinally of the ribbon and constituting minor ornamentalelements thereof, said warp threads contrasting in color with saidstrip.

13. An ornamental ribbon comprising a plurality of strips of non-fibrouscellulosic sheet material, said strips being of non-woven character andextending longitudinally of the ribbon and disposed between the sideedges thereof in laterally spaced relation, each of said strips carryinga surface design, a woven portion disposed between said strips insubstantially the same plane therewith comprising a plurality of warpthreads extending longitudinally of the ribbon and a weft thread wovenwith said warp threads and floating over both faces of said strips, thefloatedover portions of said weft being widely spaced from each otherwhereby substantially the entire surfaces of said strip faces arevisible, and selvage warps woven with said weft thread.

14. An ornamental ribbon comprising a plurality of strips of non-fibrouscellulosic sheet material, each strip being of non-woven character andextending longitudinally of the ribbon and disposed between the sideedges thereof in laterally spaced relation, each of said strips carryinga surface design, an open-mesh woven portion disposed between saidstripsin substantially the same plane therewith comprising a plu rality ofwarp threads extending longitudinally of the ribbon and a weft threadwoven with said warp threads and floating over said strips on both facesthereof, said woven portion being at least as wide as one of saidstrips, the floatedover portions of said weft being widely spaced fromeach other whereby substantially the entire surfaces of said strip facesare visible, and selvage warps woven with said weft thread.

. 15. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of suitablenon-fibrous cellulosic sheet ma;

,terial, said strip being of non-woven character and extendinglongitudinally of the ribbon and disposed between the side edgesthereof, said strip carrying a surface design, said ribbon having wovenportions at opposite sides of said strip comprising warp threadsextending longitudinally of the ribbon and a fine weft thread woven withsaid warp threads and floated over both faces of said strip, thefloated-over portions of said weft thread being widely spaced wherebysubstantially the entire surface of at least one of said strip faces isvisible.

16. An ornamental ribbon comprising a wide strip of suitable non-fibroussheet material, said strip being of non-woven character and extendinglongitudinally of the ribbon and disposed be tween the side edgesthereof, said strip carrying a surface design printed thereon, saidribbon having woven portions at opposite sides of said strip comprisingwarp threads extending longitudinally of the ribbon and a fine weftthread woven with said warp threads and floated over both faces of saidstrip, the floated-over portions of said weft thread being widely spacedwhereby substantially the entire surface of at least one of said stripfaces is visible, said strip being thin, flexible and readily foldablewhereby it is capable of being gathered transversely together with 20said woven portions in forming a knot for tying the ribbon.

JOSEPH W. STARK.

